Are We a Declining Race ? 



laminated, especially when they attend public 

 schools, where children of all grades are brought 

 together. Knowledge of the masturbatory act is 

 now almost universal among school children, 

 and steps to prevent its practice must be taken 

 without loss of time. That is, if we wish to 

 preserve the race. 



" The sexual instinct buds in a boy. He does 

 not know why ; he cannot understand it at first. 

 If much alone he stumbles by accident upon some 

 unnatural means of gratification ; if with other 

 children, some one teaches him, and the boy be- 

 comes a victim. Babies and young children are 

 sometimes abused by their nurses, and indeed 

 there are so many routes leading to the same 

 result, that it is wonderful how any one escapes, 

 as some few certainly do. 



" The only safe course is to assume that 

 they all trifle more or less with themselves, or, at 

 least, that they will do so unless precautions are 

 used to guard them against it. The child must 

 be recognised as a reasonable human being. He 

 must go to bed at a regular hour, when, tired 

 out with his day's duties, he will sleep at once, 

 and he should not be allowed to lie in bed in 

 the morning. He should not be left too much to 

 himself, or with older boys, if it can be avoided, 

 or with older girls." (" Wood's Household 

 Practice of Medicine, Hygiene and Surgery," 

 Vol. II., p. 524). 



This shows the necessity of watchfulness on 

 the part of parents and teachers, and not only of 

 watchfulness, but of instructions being given to 

 children, The vice is of such a subtle nature 



104 



